Unsportsmanlike Conduct Rule: NFL Refs Award Touchdown for Repeated Fouls
Referee Hochuli explained that the unfair acts rule could have been enforced in a recent game if the Washington team had not backed off. According to him, a team cannot commit multiple fouls in an effort to prevent a score, and the referee’s warning came into play when Luvu, the team’s No. 4, jumped the ball a few times.
The relevant rule, located in the unsportsmanlike conduct section of the NFL rulebook, states that “The defense shall not commit successive or repeated fouls to prevent a score.” The penalty for repeated fouls is straightforward: if the violation is repeated after a warning, the score is awarded to the offensive team.
Even 13-year veteran Bobby Wagner, who spoke with the referees between plays, was unaware that they could simply award a touchdown. “I was trying to inform them they were lined up offsides,” Wagner said. “I didn’t know they could just award a touchdown.”
Given the penal value of the Eagles’ “Tush Push,” it’s surprising that this sequence hasn’t occurred before. The rule provides a clear example of how repeated fouls can result in an unwarranted score. Now, defenders cannot claim ignorance of the rule and must be aware of the potential consequences of their actions.
